Opener Lab
CARTE vs SLATE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,360 answers. Exact misses rank first; average guesses among wins break ties.
The six-turn results are effectively tied: when the same solver plays from each word, CARTE averages 3.47 guesses and SLATE averages 3.47 in games solved within six.
Looking only at the opening row, SLATE has higher entropy (5.86 bits versus 5.79). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
The past-answer results are close: across 1,876 puzzles, CARTE left the smaller first-guess group 49% of the time and SLATE did so 51% of the time, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CARTE | SLATE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.8% | 96.9% |
| Information | 5.79 bits | 5.86 bits |
| Avg remaining | 76 words | 73 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.47 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier (first turn only) | A | S |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,876 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, CARTE left an average of 73 candidates and SLATE an average of 72.
The most recent test was Wordle #1875 on August 7, 2026, when the answer was FEIGN. CARTE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 125 words in play. SLATE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 169 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CARTE | SLATE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 42.5% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 89.2% | 90.3% |
| Whole row gray | 10.8% | 9.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 254 | 228 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with SLATE: it happens 9.7% of the time, against 10.8% for CARTE.
CARTE is not on the possible-answer list, so it cannot solve the game on turn one here. It can still be a useful guess.
Planning the second guess
After CARTE
All five letters miss 10.8% of the time, leaving 254 words in play. Of the 754 follow-ups checked here, SOILY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.1).
After SLATE
All five letters miss 9.7% of the time, leaving 228 words in play. Of the 728 follow-ups checked here, IRONY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
How these two openers fit together
CARTE and SLATE share 3 letters (A, E, T). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CARTE then SLATE earns 7.80 bits of information in total, 1.94 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CARTE: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLATE: Answer to Wordle #548 on December 19, 2022. CARTE would have come back ⬛🟨⬛🟩🟩 that day, leaving 9 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CARTE or SLATE?
- CARTE and SLATE are effectively tied on their average guesses in games solved within six in the current bounded policy screen.
- What does entropy mean for CARTE vs SLATE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CARTE records 5.79 bits and SLATE records 5.86 bits. SLATE has the higher score, so its feedback distribution separates the possible answers more effectively on average. Entropy describes the opening row; it does not by itself predict how many guesses a game will take.
- How do CARTE and SLATE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,876 past Wordle answers, CARTE left fewer possible answers than SLATE on 49% of days, SLATE did better on 51%, and the rest were ties. On average, CARTE left 73 candidates after the first guess and SLATE left 72.